A child who can walk independently, usually between 9 and 18 months. Walking opens up the entire house. They can reach higher, move faster, and get into rooms that were previously inaccessible. Baby gates and door locks become essential now.
Related Terms
A baby who pulls up on furniture and walks along it while holding on, usually between 8 and 12 months. Cruisers can reach tabletops, pull things down, and tip over unstable furniture. This stage demands anchored furniture and cleared surfaces.
A child between 1 and 3 years old. Toddlers walk, climb, run, and get into everything with impressive determination and zero fear. They can open drawers, turn knobs, and figure out simple locks. Childproofing for toddlers often means upgrading from basic locks to more complex ones.
A barrier installed in doorways or at the top/bottom of stairs to keep babies and toddlers from entering unsafe areas. Hardware-mounted gates screw into the wall and are the only safe option for the top of stairs. Pressure-mounted gates work for doorways and the bottom of stairs.
A plastic cover that fits over a round door knob, making it hard for small hands to grip and turn. They let adults open doors normally but stop toddlers from wandering into unsafe rooms. They only work on round knobs, not lever handles.